Teenagers warned against dangerous new 'salt and ice burn' craze that leaves them disfigured forever
- Concern over children burning their skin by holding ice to a layer of salt
- Temperature of the ice can then drop as low as -17C° causing serious injury
- Doctors say 'game' can cause permanent damage to bones and muscle
Inflicting serious burns on yourself would not be most people's idea of fun.
But doctors in Detroit have voiced concern over the number of teenagers being injured while taking part in a dangerous new craze which involves them burning themselves by holding a piece of ice to a layer of salt on their skin.
In extreme cases the 'game,' called the 'salt and ice challenge,' could cause permanent damage to muscles and bones.
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Craze: A teenager takes part in the 'Salt and Ice Challenge' which involves youngsters burning themselves by adding ice to a layer of salt on their skin
Bizarre: Youngsters have been warned not to leave their burns untreated in case they get infected
Pain: Doctors have warned that the 'game' can result in severe burns, and in extreme cases could even cause permanent damage to muscles and bone
Adding salt to ice can reduce its freezing point to as low as - 17 C° which can cause serious injuries - with some teenagers reportedly turning up to hospital with first degree burns after taking part in the craze.
Dr Ryan Shear of Botsford Hospital in Detroit said that in extreme cases this could even impair the ability of the injured person to move parts of their body, the Huffington Post reports.
Dr Shear said he has dealt with three or four cases of burns inflicted by the 'salt and ice challenge' in the past six months and warned that children should not leave them untreated in case they get infected.
Cold: Adding salt to ice can reduce its temperature to as low as -17C° - causing serious damage to the body
In June a boy in Pittsburgh burned a shape of a cross into his back while playing the game.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reported that the boy's severe, blistered injuries required drug treatment.
It also resulted in him having to have lotion applied to his injuries four times a day - and left him unable to swim or go out in the sun shirtless.
Horrific: A 12-year-boy suffered blistering second degree burns all over his back after doing a 'salt and ice challenge'
Lying on his stomach, his brother and friend poured salt in the shape of a cross on his back before pushing ice onto it.
The challenge, which has become popularized largely through You Tube videos, is to see how long you can withstand the pain.
The boy had the ice on his back for a few minutes - resulting in such severe blistering burns that he needed hospital treatment and will be recovering for the rest of the summer.
He needs drug treatment which involves applying lotion four times daily for months and he cannot swim or go outside without a shirt on.
VIDEO 'I don't want to do that again': 'Salt and ice challenge'
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